Bleach: The 3rd Phantom (ブリーチ ザ・サード・ファントム, Burīchi Za Sādo Fantomu) is a Tactical Role-Playing Game for Nintendo DS based on the popular manga written by Tite Kubo. It was originally released June 26 of 2008 in Japan and has been released on September 15,2009 in the United States.

Note: The following paragraphs are written as if you choose Fujimaru as the player character when you begin the game. If instead, you choose to play as Matsuri, all mentions of the two will be the reverse of what you observe while playing.

Fujimaru soon discovers that Seigen and Matsuri are indeed still alive, but have joined forces with Aizen; believing that Soul Society organized the death of Konoka Suzunami and the destruction of the Suzunami House. After many battles, Fujimaru finally reunites with his sister, and together they resolve to bring Seigen back to Soul Society. However, they are unable to do so, as Seigen has been transformed into a gigantic, bestial Hollow-like monster. Not truly a Visored, and closer in appearance to an Arrancar, Seigen is used as a weapon against Soul Society.

Fujimaru and Matsuri decide to lead an expedition team to Hueco Mundo in order to defeat Aizen once and for all. They never do get that far, as after attacking the monster Seigen, they are transported into a strange 'in-between' place, where they defeat Seigen, momentarily returning him to his own form, before he and Konoka fade away. The game ends with Fujimaru and Matsuri in the Human World, trying to learn the alphabet and modern Japanese, which Fujimaru messes up each and every time as Ichigo and his friends call them out. However, after beating all special missions in the Bleach Tower that is unlocked after the main story missions are cleared, a scene with Matsuri, Fujimaru, and Shiyo having breakfast together is unlocked to show how they are doing living together now.

Gameplay

Unlike the two first Bleach DS games, The 3rd Phantom is not a fighting game, but a turn-based tactic game. Two teams fight each other's on an isometrically viewed battlefield in a style similar to the Final Fantasy Tactics and Fire Emblem games. When a character attacks an opponent, the screen switches to a side view, similar to the Bleach DS fighting games. If two teammates are near the same opponent, they can perform a tag team move more powerful than the basic ones which may make it easier to kill an enemy.

Once the player has won the battle, his/her characters will earn experience points which will increase their stats and unlock new abilities. In game, characters are rounded into one of five categories depending on their fighting style, either, Speed, Power, Technique, Non-combat, or All. Having a type advantage gives attackers extra damage, while defenders gain increased defense. Speed type characters move the largest amount of spaces on the map, they have the highest evasion and accuracy stats, but have the smallest HP, speed types have the advantage over technique types, but are defeated by Power types. Power types do the most damage, but move the least amount of moves, power types have the advantage over speed types, but are defeated by technique types. Technique types have the highest defense, and equal attack and defense stats, they defeat power types, but lose to speed types. Non-combat types cannot attack and can only defend when attacked, they are defeated by all other types. All is a type given only to enemies of greater importance then other enemies, and are usually the single target or targets that must be defeated.

In game when attacked players can either counter or defend, countering allows the player's character to counterattack the enemy once their attack is through. Defending grants greater defense, but prevents the player from counterattacking. Certain characters can give support to adjacent characters, from either enhanced defense, to increased offense. Characters can use skills, the game's equivalent to magic, with SP acting as mana. All characters have a pressure bar, measuring their Spiritual Pressure, the amount of Spiritual Pressure determines the power of their attacks, defense, and skills. Spiritual pressure is gained by absorbing the spiritual pressure on the map, which is shown by red, orange, or yellow squares. Some characters can use Bankai once their spiritual pressure is maxed. Using Bankai drains the character's SP until it is depleted, at which point their Bankai will cease, and their Spiritual Pressure will be drained.

While using Bankai the character's states are greatly enhanced (and in Ichigo's case causes him to change from power type to speed type). But the user cannot give or receive support and cannot use team attacks. Characters can use or "equip" items put into their inventory in the pre-battle screen, these items can regenerate SP, HP, or hurt enemies.

Story Mode

Note: The following sections are written as if you choose Fujimaru as the player character when you begin the game. If instead, you choose to play as Matsuri, all mentions of the two will be the reverse of what you observe while playing. However, any major differences will be noted.

Click "show" to read the story.

Introduction:Soul Reapers are the spiritual guardians of the Human World. They are the balancers who watch over the souls of this world, both good and evil. Good souls are shown the way to the Soul Society... the realm of souls. The Soul Society can be roughly divided into Seireitei and the Rukon District. Seireitei lies in the center of Soul Society, and it is home to the realm's nobles and Soul Reapers. The Rukon District lies on the outskirts of Seireitei. It is the poorest area of Soul Society. Yet this is where freedom is the greatest, and it is home to the majority of the realm's souls. But the Rukon District is under attack. Hollows, those evil spirits that cannot rest in peace, have launched a sudden assault. Now, three Soul Reapers race toward the Rukon District...

Chapter 1: Meetings Past

Captain of the Fifth Division, Seigen Suzunami, along with his Lieutenant Sōsuke Aizen, and the Captain of the Twelfth Division, Kisuke Urahara, are running through Rukongai answering out a distress call put out by a patrol unit. On the way, Urahara wonders why he is being dragged along on a rescue mission assigned to the Fifth Division. Seigen and Aizen explain that they needed extra help and that he was the only one that could keep up with them. As they near the scene, Aizen notices the presence of a total of seven Hollows.

At the scene, the group notices all five members of the patrol unit dead. Aizen expresses relief that their deaths weren't in vain, as the three of them were able to lure six of the Hollows into a vacant lot to minimize the damage to the area. Urahara ponders for a moment, wondering why six Hollows are gathered together like this when they normally don't operate in groups.

After the group of Hollows is defeated, Seigen orders Aizen to stand guard while he and Urahara go hunting for the last Hollow.

In a run-down house elsewhere in Rukongai, a large Hollow is terrorizing two young children, severely injuring the male child. The Hollow expresses curiosity that the young children are twin souls, declaring himself a "connoisseur of rare and unusual souls", and that he will enjoy devouring the anomaly that is twin souls. The Hollow and the female twin both notice the presence of approaching Captain-level Shinigami, and tells the children to remember his name: Mad Eater.

Seigen and Urahara arrive on the scene after Mad Eater escapes, and notice Matsuri Kudō holding onto her injured, yet still alive, brother, Fujimaru. Seigen tells Urahara to take care of Matsuri, while he carries Fujimaru.

As Fujimaru comes to, he awakes in a strange house, which he soon learns is the Suzunami mansion after talking to Seigen, and his sister Konoka.

The next day, Urahara drops by the mansion to see how the two children are doing. He suggests that Seigen and Konoka take the two in to live at their home. Also, after noting the childrens' large appetite, which usually accompanies strong reiatsu, he suggests that the two of them train to become Shinigami.

Note: In the initial confrontation with Mad Eater, if Matsuri is chosen as the player character, the scene in their house differs. After Seigen and Urahara arrive, Fujimaru demands that Seigen give him his Zanpakutō so he can chase after the escaped Hollow.

Chapter 2: Joining the Squad

Several years later, Fujimaru and Matsuri have graduated the Shin'ō Academy and officially become Shinigami. They are greeted and welcomed to the Fifth Division by senior member Kaien Shiba. The two then prepare to introduce themselves to the rest of the Division.

Later that night, back at the Suzunami mansion, the twins are having a celebratory meal with Seigen and Konoka to congratulate them on officially entering the Division.

Fujimura and Matsuri are given some time to get used to their new life. They learn about the duties of the Fifth Division from Seigen, meet Fourth Division and Thirteenth Division Captains Retsu Unohana and Jūshirō Ukitake, get a chance to thank Urahara for giving them the suggestion to try and become Shinigami, and learn about Kaien's days in the academy.

Back at the barracks, the Fifth Division is given a special assignment to take over some of the Thirteenth Division's patrols in Rukongai, due to their captain not feeling well. Fujimaru and Matsuri are assigned with Aizen and Kaien to patrol District 64 of North Rukongai. Shortly into the mission, the group senses Hollows and head out to engage them.

After the four kill the Hollows, another shows up and confronts them, holding a young girl hostage. Fujimaru and Matsuri recognize the Hollow in front of them as Mad Eater, who offers a trade: his hostage for the twins. Aizen acts as though he is going to agree to the deal, but not before using his Zanpakutō, Kyōka Suigetsu, to create phantom copies of Mad Eater in order to confuse the original. In doing so, he buys Kaien enough time to take back the hostage. Mad Eater, realizing his disadvantage, flees. The twins learn of the trick behind Aizen's Zanpakutō.

Later that night, the twins vow to get stronger and defeat Mad Eater.

Chapter 3: The Rukon District

Chapter 4: Ill Omen

Chapter 5: Hollow Assault

Chapter 6: Soul Reaper Eater

Chapter 7: Evanescence

Chapter 8: New Meetings

Chapter 9: Homeward Bound

Chapter 10: Departure and Arrival

Chapter 11: Grimmjow

Chapter 12: Crisis

Chapter 13: Outlaw vs. Hoodlum

Chapter 14: Disappointment

Chapter 15: An Unexpected Enemy

Chapter 16: Determination

Chapter 17: Dopplegangers

Chapter 18: Impostor Showdown

Chapter 19: Resolve

Chapter 20: Resolve of Another

Chapter 21: Truths Revealed

Chapter 22: Pincer Attack

Chapter 23: Formidable Foes

Chapter 24: Enemy Territory

Chapter 25: The Final Battle

Free Time

At least once per chapter, there is a gameplay section called "Free Time." In this section, the player spends time with other characters in the game while moving across a board game like area, with Kon acting as a sort of game piece. The player has a limited number of Action Points (AP) to use, which is also how many spaces left until the goal space. The player chooses event panels, which caused them to spend time with the character portrayed on the panel. There are colored lights which tells the player how many spaces Kon will move after the event ends, which also shows how many AP is consumed (ex: 2 spaces = 2 AP consumed). Free Time ends when the player lands on or passes the Goal Space (AP hits zero). Going through certain event panels unlock other panels, and even secret characters. If an event panel has a bonus icon in one or more of the corners, the player gets that bonus once the event ends.

Bonuses are as follows:

Exclamation Mark = The event will disappear after the current free time session

Treasure Chest = Items

Fist = Stat Increase (usually HP)

Heart = Affiliation with character on panel increases, sometimes the affiliation with another character will increase as well. On certain panels with this bonus, if you choose the right dialogue option, the character on the event panel will join your team. Early examples of this are Kira, Hisagi, and Komamura, and these scene's usually have the character name and the word "cooperation" in the title of the event (ex: Kira's Cooperation, Hisagi's Cooperation, Komamura's Cooperation).

Sword = Training, happens midway through the game.

Hot Springs Symbol = A hot springs scene. This is basically a fan service scene where the character on the panel is seen in the hot springs or bathing. Sometimes it involves more than one character. More are available in Bleach Tower, which is unlocked after beating the game. More Hot Springs scenes are available if the player plays as Matsuri (the girl), than if the player plays as Fujimaru (the boy).

Some spaces have bonuses on them, and if Kon lands on a space with a bonus, the player gets it. All the bonuses that are on the particular free time segment board are listed on the top screen in order of appearance, along with the board and Kon. The bonuses are the same as in event panels, excluding Exclamation Mark and Heart, with a new bonus thrown in, a D shaped like Kons paw. This is called "Discount" which decreases the amount of AP/spaces an event panel uses up/moves Kon, event panels can't go below 1 AP/Space though.

Also, there is strategy to this mode. Players must carefully choose which panels to use. If Kon passes a space with a bonus on it, the player won't get it. If Kon lands on a yellow and Black striped space, called a pit, free time ends automatically.

Game Original Characters

Trivia

The game's events do not tie in with the timeline established in the manga. In the game, Seigen was the 5th Division's captain at the same time as Kisuke Urahara was the 12th Division's captain, with both of them leaving Soul Society at the same time, due to a plot set up by Aizen. However, in the manga storyline, Shinji Hirako is the captain of the 5th Division for the entire time that Urahara served as a captain.

The game also features Grand Fisher, Shrieker and his Artillery, The Demi-Hollow, and Numb Chandelier as lesser Hollows. However, likely for continuity reasons, every one of these Hollows had their name changed (for example, Grand Fisher to Grand Savage, and Shrieker to Screamer).

This is also the first Bleach video game in which the Japanese and North American cover art are different. The Japanese cover contains a red background with Ichigo in Bankai, and features Sōsuke Aizen, Matsuri Kudō, Fujimaru Kudō and Seigen Suzunami. The North American cover features the Seireitei (most likely the 5th division barracks) in the background, Ichigo in Shikai, Matsuri Kudō, Fujimaru Kudō and Aizen and Suzunami have been replaced with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and Ulquiorra Cifer.

The Japanese release features voice-overs throughout the game, while the North American release only features voice-overs during the fighting sequences of the game.

Unlike in the manga and anime and in any other games, Komamura is heard giving his Zanpakutō a release command, saying "Roar, Tenken".

During the Past arc of the game, Kaien Shiba is a member of the 5th Division before eventually being transferred to the 13th Division; however, this is not established in the manga or the anime.

Music

The theme song of the game is Nokori Kaze (残り風, Remaining Wind) by Ikimono Gakari. The band also performed the Bleach anime seventh ending song.